What He Said, She Said
Kurama, moist crimson bangs pasted against the sides of his heated face, currently raced with all of his might across the soggy football field. He ran through a damp field with numerous pieces of grass sticking to his willowy legs and dressed in a sweat-soaked uniform and trying to intercept another player. To the crowd that observed the intense football practice, Kurama appeared to be a scarlet and sable blur racing across the long stretch of green. As he darted toward his target, Kurama also thought of his encounter with Ayame the other day in the library.
"I don't know and don't really care, Kurama-san: as many as those who have the nerve to enter our district. Besides, even if I did know the number, I wouldn't tell you. That would be sending a herd of lambs into a wolf's--no--a fox's den," Ayame placidly responded to Kurama's question.
"And what do you mean by that, Ayame-san?" Kurama inquired, coolly watching his friend return to gracefully shelve books to their rightful places. "Are you negatively inferring me, Ayame-san, to a fox?"
"You know perfectly what I mean, you tricky fox; you're not a coarse, overly-greedy wolf, Kurama-san, nor an innocent, naïve puppy. You're a sly, seducing fox who gets his way without the use of force," Ayame serenely answered. "Unless, of course, you want someone to put up a fight. Just promise me, Kurama-san, if Urameshi does make an appearance at Kitajima-san's party, you won't harm the non-fighters. Knowing you, you're sure to give the group with Urameshi a hard time as well, Kurama-san."
"Me?" Kurama feigned hurt, batting humorously his emerald eyes at Ayame. If it were not for his obvious acting, Ayame would have believed him. "How can you think such a cruel thing about me, Ayame-san? I thought I was your friend."
Ignoring Kurama's play, the second year girl laughed cheerlessly, "Ha, I know you of old, Kurama-san. I know you better than most students ever dream to know you. I grew up with you, after all."
"Maya-san did as well," Kurama solemnly reminded, now helping Ayame shelve books.
"Yes," Ayame softened her voice, remembering Kurama's former relationship with Kitajima Maya. "She did. But she once knew you, and she refused and still refuses to see all of you, Kurama-san. I see the darkness that dwells within you, the same darkness that dwelled within you when we were young children. I don't quite understand you or your darkness, Kurama-san, but I know you well enough."
"And this is why you are my friend," Kurama noted pointedly.
"Kurama-san, please," Ayame pleaded, gently grasping the young man's wrist. "If you do find Sarayashiki students at Kitajima-san's party, do not harm any of them unless they are Urameshi or are seeking a fight. And please do not be hostile towards the passive ones. Promise me you won't harm anyone but Urameshi, Kurama-san."
"Ayame--"
"Kurama-san, please." Solemn cerulean eyes stared pleadingly into stern emerald pools.
"All right," Kurama groaned, surrendering for the second time that day. "I promise."
"Hey! Heads up, Minamino!"
"Watch out!"
Hastily looking straight ahead, Kurama barely had enough time to react; the swirling soaked football raced towards his face. With all of the grace he could muster within that last second, Kurama neatly butt the black and white ball with his forehead (getting a few pieces of grass in his beautiful hair), juggled it on his right knee and left foot, launched the ball into the air, and then jumped to kick it right at the goal. A satisfying whoosh was heard as the ball soared into the white net.
'That was a little too close,' Kurama sighed lightly with relief as he shook his mind of his thoughts of yesterday. 'I should remember to stay focused during practice.'
"Good shot, Minamino!" Jin rooted, giving Kurama a toothy grin. The peppy redhead first-year student, who was also Kurama's fellow football teammate, gave Kurama two thumbs up.
"Go Minamino!" cheerleaders cheered from the sideline as they danced for Kurama's score. "No one can beat you! G-O M-I-N-A-M-I-N-O! Go Minamino!" The cheerleaders were not the only ones cheering for Kurama, though. The entire female student body, including female upperclassmen, was out on the football field to watch the second-year, crimson-locked, high school heart throb practice.
"Wow, did you see that? Minamino-san is so awesome!"
"I wish Minamino-senpai were my boyfriend!"
"Oh my God! Boyfriend? I want to MARRY Minamino-san!"
"Minamino-senpai is the best!"
Kuronue, Hiei, and Touya lazily lounged against the bleachers. The three boys sighed dejectedly as they watched the horde of female Meiou students cheer on and pine for their group leader on the sidelines. "Damn Kurama, the womanizer," Kuronue smirked, the unbuttoned bits of his white shirt and strands of ebony hair flying with the fall breeze. "Can't keep his manly charms to himself. 'Minamino-senpai is the best,' she says."
"Oh, you're not that much different from Kurama, Kuronue," Touya chuckled lightly, autumn sunlight dancing off of his icy eyes. "You have your endless waves of fans as well all courtesy to your womanizing."
Awayuki Touya, like Shinobi Jin, was a first year at Meiou High School; however, unlike the spirited redhead, Touya was a forbearing person, the silent type. Hiei admired the blue-haired boy for his thoughtful silence compared to the loud-mouthed Jin; therefore, Touya happened to be Hiei's favorite lower classman. Touya and Jin had been accepted by Kurama's ring of close friends when the two lowerclassmen proved their loyalty to Kurama during a street fight (Kurama had rescued them from bullying beforehand, and the two new students had gratefully returned the favor).
"Yes, that is rather amazing, for a second year, to receive so much attention as you do," Shishiwakumaru chuckled as he, a taller student Suzuki, and an even taller Chuu joined the other three boys on the bleachers. Shishiwakumaru and Suzuki were third-year students at Meiou High School, while Chuu was a returning third year; these three had joined Kurama, Kuronue, and Hiei their first year at Meiou. Or, actually, they had joined Kurama's ranks as soon as they realized Kurama's superior fighting skills, excellent academics, and shady, stoic behavior.
As he sat down, Shishiwakumaru tossed his luxurious blue hair back behind him and gave a girl down at the sidelines a smile. She fainted. Chuu gave a cocky grin to a student next to the fainted girl, who quickly looked away blushing furiously. Suzuki only rolled his cerulean eyes tiredly at Chuu and Shisiwakumaru's flirtatious antics.
"Ugh, please, stop it," Hiei snorted disgustedly, sounding out Suzuki's thoughts. "All of you make me sick, the way you flaunt around with women at this school. They're all annoying and not worth anyone's time."
Kuronue and Chuu laughed as the two sandwiched Hiei between themselves on the metal bleachers. The two taller students hooked Hiei's head with their arms, giving him noogies in the process. Needless to say, Hiei's already unruly black hair was ruffled into greater disorderly insanity. "Ha, trying to make yourself sound immune to women's charms, Hiei? Yeah, right, like you don't like girls!" Kuronue teased while tauntingly poking Hiei's left cheek. "You always make me laugh, Little One!"
"From what I hear," Chuu teased as well, good-naturedly punching Hiei's arm, "you have a crush on Akiyuki Mukuro, that moody, antisocial third year girl. Whew, you really decided to pick a live one, Hiei. I heard she picks fights with any kid who's willing to fight."
"Hn." Hiei's cheeks were a flaming red to match his crush's hair color. 'Damn school friends.'
"Is everything all right, Kurama?" Jin questioned worriedly as he pulled his jersey over his head, grabbing for his white buttoned down shirt from his locker. Football had finished, and all of the players were currently in the locker room taking showers and dressing out. "You seem a wee bit distracted during practice today." By social standard, Jin should have been showing Kurama the proper upperclassmen respect, but the two friends had long forgotten formality.
"Are you going to Maya-san's party this coming weekend, Jin?" Kurama asked quietly as he stared dully at his own clothes-filled locker. He, unlike Jin, made no motion to dress out.
Jin shrugged with indifference, his own expression a crooked smile. "I don't know. To tell you the truth, it nearly skipped my mind. Haven't really decided yet whether to ask Ayame-san for an invitation."
"You weren't invited? How?" Kurama narrowed his eyes. "But Jin, you're--"
Jin smiled sheepishly at his friend. "Last night I was."
"You broke up?"
Nodding cheerily, Jin answered, "And about time, too, you know? I've been waiting for a long while for her to dump me. The little lass just didn't seem to be getting the message. I'm so glad she finally got it before I had to dump; didn't want her to lose face. That would have killed her."
Kurama chuckled, somewhat amused, "How well did it go?"
"Painful to bear, on my side," Jin rolled his cerulean eyes in annoyance. "And not from heartbreak either, let me tell you, Kurama. Ai, that girl needs to learn to cut down on her break-up speeches. All of them are far too long, if you ask me. You know what I mean, don't you, Kurama?"
Laughing along with Jin, Kurama grinned, "No, I would not know, but I will just take your word for it, Jin."
"Mine!" Botan hollered clearly and briskly as she rushed forward in her position so she could pass the speeding volleyball to the setter. Somewhat sliding on her kneepads, Botan made it in time to reach a perfect position beneath the volleyball. As the blanche ball slapped against her two arms, Botan urged it back into the air, causing it to fly into a high, graceful arch.
"Number two!" Keiko called out as she set the ball with equal grace out to the center hitter.
"Mine!" The hitter, in return, yelled as she jumped into the air and spiked the volleyball downwards towards the other team's side. A loud clap was heard as the white sphere made contact with the waxed wooden floor.
"Aced it! Great job!" Botan cheered merrily as she and her other team members rushed forward to congratulate their hitter.
"All right, girls!" the coach shouted good-naturedly, blowing her whistle and clapping as well. "Good practice! We'll continue with skirmishes tomorrow!"
"Whoa!" a masculine voice unexpectedly cried out, echoing through the gym. "Check them out!"
"Oh, yeah! Give me some more!" another voice added.
"Someone's cooking!"
"Damn, they're hot!"
The teenage girls quickly took a glance at the bleachers and giggled when they saw who was making the racket. When Botan and Keiko looked to see who it was, they speedily turned away, blushing and embarrassed. The other volleyball players giggled and followed the two girls, all the girls hastily running into the locker room to shower and change.
The volleyball coach then turned to the bleachers, where Yusuke, Kazuma, his gang members, and Koenma (who had been dragged along with the boys against his will) had been catcalling the girl athletes throughout practice. So had many other Sarayashiki boys; and who could blame them? The Sarayashiki girl volleyball players, for uniforms, wore blue, skin-tight leotards, white t-shirt jerseys, and white kneepads and sneakers to match. The revealed legs of the girls made any guy drool.
"Urameshi!" the coach called out harshly but with good humor. She knew perfectly well Yusuke was there harmlessly and had only eyes for Yukimura. "Get out of here before I kick you out. You had your fun, now get going."
Yusuke laughed uneasily and took his cue. "All right! I'm going now." All of the other boys in the gym followed Yusuke's example and hastily left the gym. If a teacher could make Urameshi listen to her, then she definitely was not a person for a student to mess with.
Botan moaned resignedly as she relaxed against her cool bedroom wall, sitting on top of her comforting, soft bed. After grueling the volleyball practice, she had rushed home, had finished her homework, found something to hurriedly eat, had taken a soothing bath, and had changed into her warm flannels. Fortunately for the girl, Yusuke had decided to spend the night out on patrol, so he and Botan did not get into one of their sibling-like spats. Botan's current state of mind, her body leaning against the blank white wall, was the most relaxing it had been all day.
"Ugh," Botan groaned. "Today has been a day." Her imagination wondered to an encounter she had as she had been leaving practice, an encounter she had been trying to avoid for a month so far.
"Hello, Sweet. Have you missed me much?"
Botan, having just walked out of the gymnasium, found her body freezing in its place at the sound of the nickname and the cold voice. Although she desperately wanted to deny it, she knew perfectly well whose sickening voice she had just heard. The girl knew all too well the horrid sound that had just called out to her. Dark, inescapable memories flew through Botan's mind as desolate emotions were finding their rightful places in her heart. When Botan finally mustered the courage to turn around, she already knew who the disgusting creature behind her was. "Karasu."
Ashitare Karasu smiled wickedly at Botan, his long, shadowy hair framing the sinister expression of his eyes; the dark blue uniform of their school did not help much with his image either. Walking stealthily towards Botan, the third year Sarayashiki student soon had the frightened girl pinned against a wall. Karasu's pale, slender fingers had somehow found themselves entangled with Botan's sleek sky-blue hair. Karasu inhaled her scent as if it were ecstasy.
'Not Him, please.'
"I've missed you. Come on," Karasu prodded in a deathly tone, his slim fingers now brushing against the soft skin on Botan's neck and left cheek, "tell me you've missed me too, Sweet. Tell me how much you've missed me." The frightening boy neared his smirking face towards Botan's, licking his sensual lips hungrily. His hands now moved from Botan's neck down to her sides, all the way down to her slender legs.
"Stay away from me, Karasu!" Botan snapped, effectively pushing the boy off of her person.
'Freak.'
"Or what?" Karasu laughed viciously, callously grabbing Botan's arm. His eyes emitted darkness that was beginning to swallow the last of Botan's courage. "You'll tell your cousin? Are you going to tell on me to Urameshi? Ha, you know he's a weakling compared to me, Botan-chan." Botan's flinch at the informality brought Karasu even greater pleasure.
"Yusuke is not a weakling, Karasu, and he would never lose to the likes of you," Botan growled as she fiercely glared at Karasu through her amethyst eyes. She still had some fight left within her: just enough to pull her sore arm out of Karasu's grip. "Now leave me alone or else."
"Or else what?" Karasu dared as he sharply caught Botan's chin with his right hand. "Sweet, don't think I don't know how strong you are or what you've been up to. I know. I know everything about you, Botan-chan, even more than you know yourself. And you know it."
Botan tried to fight back her impulse to bite down upon Karasu's vile hand on her face; she was sure the taste would be abominable. "No, you don't. You know nothing about me, Karasu."
'Monster.'
"Heh, I know everything there is to know about you, Botan-chan. There is nothing you can hide from me," Karasu laughed in response. "Don't you get it? You're my girl, after all, Sweet."
'Pervert.'
"You wish," Botan glared as she jerked her face out of his hand and finally freed it from Karasu's bruising hold.
Karasu shrugged indifferently, a knowing smile on his bitter pale face. "Makes no difference to me. Soon, I won't have to anymore, Botan-chan. After I get rid of Daioh, you'll be mine again."
"Leave Koenma-senpai alone!" Botan shrieked in alarm. She suddenly felt very worried for the second-year student, her heart pounding rapidly. "He has nothing to do with you and me, Karasu!"
"Hm, senpai. That has a nice ring to it, you know? Sounds really sexy coming from you. Why don't you ever call me senpai, Botan-chan?"
"Because," Botan gritted through her teeth, "unlike you, Karasu, Koenma-senpai is a well-mannered gentlemen; he's polite, sweet, and a good friend. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. Koenma-senpai doesn't enjoy other people's pain like you do."
"Feh, bullshit. Don't think I don't see how Daioh always looks at you," Karasu smirked, wolfishly licking his lips once more. "I know what he wants because he looks at you the same way I do. And I'll make sure he pays for those."
"Jerk!" Botan yelled as she punched Karasu in his face with all the force she possessed.
BAM!
Botan wanted to smile for being able to throw Karasu to the ground, but she was busy breathing and trying to escape instead. Deep within herself, she knew that her former boyfriend would lash out at her with double force as revenge. And sure enough, after recovering from the shock, Karasu rose from the ground and glared at Botan. He raised his hand to strike her back. "How dare you--"
Suddenly, Karasu found himself kissing the ground once again. Botan looked up and smiled at a familiar face. Hiigarashi Genkai, a rather close friend of Botan's, stood above Karasu with a furious glare. Her rosy braid and dark blue skirt swung in the breeze, nature somehow giving her a dramatic and heroic look about her and making Genkai appear taller than she actually was. "Try hitting Hanasaki again," Genkai muttered dangerously, "and you'll have more than just Urameshi to deal with, Karasu. Got that?"
"Fine," Karasu coughed out dirt, dusting off his jacket as he stood up. He then gave a quick glance at Botan before stalking away. "Be glad that Genkai is on your side, Sweet. If she weren't and if she weren't with Toguro, you'd already be mine again."
Shivering at the disturbing memory, Botan felt her insides squirm. "He's such a creep! Why the hell did I want to go out with him the first place?"
Taking a deep breath and leaving the chilling recollections behind, the teenage girl stared down at the neatly folded white envelopes lying on top of her blankets between her pale legs. She thought about how she had received these invitations two days ago. "Ayame 'nee-chan, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Botan questioned in awe. She, along side the older Meiou student, was enjoying a nice drink at a café in neutral territory between the two high schools. "I mean, Sarayashiki and Meiou, as you should know, don't really get along all too well. Are you really sure this is all right?"
Ayame grinned gently at Botan as she reached over the small table and securely tucked six white envelopes into Botan's hands. "Yes, I am sure, Botan-chan. I want you and some of your friends to come to this party this coming weekend."
"But why?" Botan wondered innocently. Confused lavender orbs searched cool cerulean ones.
"Well, I want your friends to come this weekend, Botan-chan, so I can prove that Sarayashiki students and Meiou students can stay in the same room without any bitter feelings," Ayame explained, patting Botan's hands in a friendly manner. "And I want you to come because I want you to meet someone."
"Meet someone, Ayame 'nee-chan?"
"Yes," Ayame grinned secretly. "Someone."
"Who?"
"Someone, Botan-chan. Someone, I think, who can take away your sadness and you theirs."
"Kurama?"
Hiei, with a breeze blowing against him, walked into the shade of their meeting tree. Grumbling somewhat about nature always messing with his hair, Hiei searched about for a familiar face. When he spotted no one sitting at its leaf-covered trunk, the small young man reflexively turned upwards into the intertwined branches. A small grin met his face when he caught sight of familiar scarlet locks flying from the thickest of the tree's arms.
"Kurama," Hiei shouted again to the tree, "Kuronue is looking everywhere for you right now. He's about to go to the library to study for the history test and wants to know if you will be going with him."
"Tell him to go without me," Kurama calmly replied, not even slightly shifting from his seat.
Hiei's blood-red eyes narrowed when he heard Kurama's dull and lifeless voice. 'Something isn't right here.'
"What's wrong, Kurama? What happened?"
"Nothing."
A fist pouded against the tree. "Kurama, tell me."
"Forget it, Hiei."
"Tell me!"
"No!"
Hiei growled like an animal, furiously annoyed with Kurama's childish behavior. The incensed second-year student searched around the tree and mischievously smiled when he found his ideal object. Looking up at Kurama with a smirk, Hiei warned, "Tell me what's wrong, Kurama, or else."
"Else," was the redhead's reply.
"Fine." The petite ebony-haired boy grinned with relish as he enjoyed the sensation of throwing a rock at Kurama's easily targeted head. Sadly to say, Kurama never saw it coming.
"Come on, you guys," Yusuke begged, giving all of his friends the saddest puppyface he could muster. Of course, he did not gain much leverage by using such a face, but it was worth a try. "Let's go to one of those Meiou parties this weekend! It'll be tons of fun, I swear! I know for a fact they always throw awesome parties!"
Kuwabara Kazuma, surprisingly both a rival and a good friend to Yusuke (when he is not looking for a fight), frowned in disapproval. "Urameshi, do you think we're stupid? Don't you know how hard it is to getting into one of those parties even when you're a student from Meiou? How the hell do you think YOU are going to get in when most Meiou kids themselves can't?"
Yusuke started, "Well, other than you being stupid--"
"Yusuke!" Keiko screeched as she hit Yusuke behind his head. "Be polite!"
"Ow!"
Botan cattily grinned mischievously, just like her cousin would when he had a sneaky plan. "Well, to answer your question, Kuwabara, it's rather simple to get into a Meiou party really," Botan giggled as she whipped out six white elegantly decorated envelopes from her uniform jacket. "We just need to acquire six invitations to the party, and we're automatically in. Piece of cake."
Everyone stared at Botan in wonder as they hurriedly grabbed an invitation for themselves. "How the hell did you get your hands onto these, Botan-chan?" Kazuma demanded in earnest. "This kind of stuff doesn't just lay around for some stranger to pick up, you know!"
"You didn't go into the Meiou district, did you, Botan?" Yusuke inquired his cousin suspiciously, his fists on his hips. "Because you know if you had, I'm going to--"
"Your skills are amazing, Botan-san," Koenma, cutting Yusuke off, whispered as he stared at his invitation in awe. "I know that it is nearly impossible to acquire one invitation to a Meiou party, not even mentioning six."
Botan blushed sheepishly at Koenma's compliment. "No, I didn't go into the district, Yusuke. I stayed out of and far from it, like you told me a long time ago. And thank you, Koenma-senpai; I'm glad that someone appreciates my hard work."
"But how in the world did you get these invitations, Botan-chan?" Keiko questioned seriously. Her mahogany eyes carefully stared into Botan's candy eyes. "I know for a fact that Meiou students personally deliver their invitations to the students or their houses to make sure that none are misplaced. You couldn't have possibly gotten these invitations from a Meiou student."
"Well," Botan smiled cunningly, "let's just say I have good friends in high places."
"Wow, you sure are lucky!" Kazuma exclaimed.
"So, are we going or what?" Yusuke questioned, looking around for approval from his friends. "We got everything we need now, so who's up to it?"
"I guess we are going this weekend. We wouldn't want to waste all of these invitations Botan-san worked so hard to get," Koenma replied. "And Yusuke-san's right, Meiou students do throw good parties, so I've heard."
"Hey, who's the sixth invitation for, Botan-chan?" Keiko inquired curiously.
"Well, it was going to be for Hiigarashi Genkai, but she's always too busy training for Marital Arts competitions, so I'm inviting someone else instead. Do you know Koorime Yukina, the pretty blue haired second year here? She's another rather close friend of mine, and I promised her to a Meiou party if I ever got the chance."
Kazuma smiled like an idiot; he obviously had heard about the older girl. "Oh, is she going to come too?"
"If I ever get my invitation from Botan-chan," a sweet, gentle voice giggled from behind the group. Everyone turned around and faced two scarlet orbs and sea-foam hair, trademarks of Koorime Yukina.
"Ah, Yukina-san, how was math class today?" Koenma inquired his fellow second year as she took a seat beside Botan. The football captain's voice was business-like and authoritative yet friendly still. "Was the exam as hard as all of the other second years claimed?"
"Jeez, Koenma-senpai, is that what you say to a girl for a greeting?" Kazuma growled. The carrot-top thought to his self that Koenma should have better manners. Quickly forgetting that thought, Kazuma smiled kindly at Yukina. "Ah, Yukina-senpai, good afternoon! You look as beautiful as ever! How is your day so far?"
Yukina giggled. "Thank you for your compliment, Kuwabara-san. And it was fine, Kuwabara-san, thank you for asking." Kazuma plastered his smile on his face while his heart broke at "Kuwabara-san".
"Would you like to come and party with us this weekend, Yukina-chan?" Botan asked as she waved the last invitation in front of Yukina's face teasingly. The second year sheepishly smiled as she quickly snatched it out of Botan's hand.
"Of course I would, Botan-chan. I just said I would."
"Damn it, Hiei!" Kurama snapped severely as he sat beside the tree's large base, a hand on the right side of his blood-red head. "What in Hell's name were you thinking? Wait, don't tell me the answer because you obviously weren't!" Hissing in breath, hoping to relieve some of the agonizing pain, Kurama began to slowly massage the place of contact.
"You wouldn't tell me what's wrong, so I improvised," Hiei answered smugly as he watched Kurama check to see if he was bleeding. Hiei felt even smugger when Kurama saw not a drop of blood on his strangely elegant hands. "It was your fault, Kurama, you didn't answer me when I asked the first time; so don't go on ranting at me that it was my fault."
"Damn you, Hiei, and your lack of patience," Kurama slightly chuckled as he surrendered; there was no point continuing to argue. He knew perfectly well that arguing with Hiei was pointless and harmful to ones health. "Well, if you must know, you stubborn mule, Jin and Maya-san broke up a couple a days ago."
"So, they broke up," Hiei muttered. "About time too. God, I hate that girl."
"Hiei," Kurama reprimanded solemnly, glowering through emerald pools of wisdom. "It is not proper to hate someone, especially a lady. Did your father not teach you any manners?"
"Well," Hiei retorted, "first off, my father, who tried to teach me, is dead; second, my bastard of a step-father is hardly ever around to teach me anything but foul words, and you know that for a fact, Kurama; third, I'll hate damn well whoever I please, and you can't boss me around on that matter; fourth, it's a hell of a good thing that Kitajima isn't a lady. Damn it, she makes me sick to my stomach whenever I look at her."
"Hiei, you have no reason to hate her so," Kurama warned seriously after laughing at Hiei's rather extensive rant.
"Yes, I do."
"And what reason would that be, Hiei?"
"She hurt you. She's a demon. She is to be hated."
Kurama laughed at Hiei's train of logic. "Oh, so because she hurt me she is to be hated for the rest of her life?"
"Yes."
"You're a strange case, Hiei, but a good friend," Kurama chuckled as he shook his head, which fortunately was not bleeding. Taking a deep sigh, Kurama looked out to the clean blue sky and grinned at the plain but wondrous sight. A freeing sensation raced through Kurama as he observed the open space, and he found his mind at peace; that is, until Hiei interrupted his thoughts.
"At least I'm not the only mental case," Hiei grumbled like a toddler. "Kuronue agrees with me too."
"And so do I."